CCEA approves 'Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education'

New Delhi, June 26 (ANI): The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave its approval today for the implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme of "Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education" with a total incurring expenditure of Rs.1500 crore during the 11th Five year Plan.

The Scheme will cover all Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe girls who pass class VIII and girls, who pass class VIII examination from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhyalayas (irrespective of whether they belong to Scheduled Castes or Tribes) and enroll for class IX in State/Union Territory Government, Government aided or local body schools in the academic year 2008-09 onwards.

However, married girls and girls studying in private unaided schools will be excluded. Also, students enrolled in schools run by Central Government will also be excluded from this scheme.

In order to be eligible for the benefit under the scheme, the girl should be unmarried and below 16 years of age (as on 31st March) on joining class IX.

In addition, the Scheme is made applicable to the girls, who pass class VIII examination from KGBVs irrespective of whether they belong to SCs or STs.

There would be no restriction based on income criteria for grant of incentive to girls, because SC/ST girls and girls passing out from KGBVs and studying in Government, Government-aided and local body schools would generally be from disadvantaged section of the society.

States/UT Governments, schools controlled and managed by State Governments, Local Bodies and aided private schools and Panchayati Raj Institutions will be the implementing partners.

A sum of Rs.3000 would be deposited under term deposit / fixed deposit in a public sector bank or in a post office in the name of every eligible girl child. The term / period of the deposit will be counted from the date of deposit to the date on which the girl child attains the age of 18 years.

No premature withdrawal will be allowed.

The Scheme will be rigorously evaluated after two years through appropriate independent agencies in order to further improve the same in future.

The Scheme would be made operative from 2008-09. (ANI)